Eid Prayers At Valentines Park / Eid 2022 Diaries

As I have already stated in my previous article, Eid 2022 was the best Eid of my life. After getting 3 hours of sleep after going to Chand Raat, I woke up at around 6:30 in the morning and I got ready to go to Eid prayers. Eid prayers are special because you get to thank Allah for getting you through Ramadan, you gain blessings by saying the Takbeer and you get to be with the Ummah starting Eid together. I went to Valentines Park for Eid this year for the first time, where Mufti Menk holds the Eid Salah.

What is Valentines Park?

Valentines Park is a park that is south of Gants Hill and is the largest green space in the London borough of Redbridge.

What are Eid Prayers?

For those who don’t know, Eid Salah celebrates and commemorates the end of Ramadan on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. They are usually two rakats of Eid prayer and involve saying a lot of Takbeer to thank Allah and gain blessings. They can be done at home or outside, and this year, I really wanted to do it outside with my Ummah.

What did I like about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park?

Valentine Park is a beautiful park, with a pond, ducks, trees with flowers and of course, a large green space. It really reminded me of the beautiful world that Allah has put me in.
I got to listen to and be part of the prayers held by the world-renowned Mufti Menk, an eloquent Muslim scholar who has inspired many Muslims.
The talk this year was about the 5 pillars of Islam, which was a simple topic, yet I remember feeling the deep sense of peace in my heart while listening as well as guilt for any mistakes/sins I have commited in the past.
Praying together as an Ummah with the breeze rushing made me feel like Allah was blessing us, and with the soft sunlight pouring on us, it was even better.
I accomplished something good right from the start of the day Alhamdulillah and I had the whole rest of the day to enjoy Eid.
I then went to the funfair for a little while, where I saw my Chemistry teacher, got to see Mufti Menk and walked around with my sister to see the rides and food for a little while.

What did I dislike about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park?

I really liked how different Muslims from different backgrounds came together on this day. There were hundreds of people, the old and the young, men, women and children, and the sick and healthy. There were Hijabis and non-Hijabis. As a non-Hijabi, I felt slightly scared and guilty of taking off my Hijab after the prayer but I realised that we are all ion our own journey of Islam, and we should not judge others, instead we should focus on ourselves.
There were men and women both exiting the park, and I think they should have separated the male and female exits.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, yes and yes! I would highly recommend going to this park just for fun and also when Eid Salah happens, which normally happens every year! Even if you are non-Muslim, you are welcome to come and watch the Eid Salah and witness the peace that we Muslims feel while praying!

This was my short review or diary entry about doing Eid prayers in Valentines Park in 2022. These are my opinions about this place. Make sure to check out my other articles.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!